NRM and Locomotion on course to reopen after lockdown on May 19
CLOSED because of lockdown since December 31, the National Railway Museum and its Locomotion museum at Shildon are to reopen on Wednesday, May 19, following the easing of Government Covid-19 restrictions.
Visitors are being asked to observe social distancing, wear a face mask (unless exempt), where applicable follow marked routes and book online in advance at www. railwaymuseum.org.uk/visit for York and at www.locomotion.org.uk for Shildon.
Ticket numbers will be limited to timed slots to help keep people safe and entry will remain free.
At Locomotion, visitors will now be able to see the original Locomotion No.1 on display in Shildon for the first time in more than 170 years (picture, page 87)*, following its move from Darlington’s Head of Steam museum on March 7 (issue 279) – close to the site of its first historic journey at the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway (SDR) in 1825.
Exhibitions
Launched online in February this year and attracting more than 10,000 views, visitors to both museums will for the first time be able to see the latest photographic exhibition, Railway Heroes, close up. As reported in issue 278, it celebrates railway key workers and their role in the national response to the pandemic.
Stephanie Hart, who works in IT Services at Network Rail and whose story is part of the exhibition, said: “The railways have so many people with different skill sets – it was amazing to see people making items for the NHS, putting up hospital beds, delivering food parcels and medication and giving up their time to volunteer to help others. I really feel we’ve been able to add so much more than simply running a railway.”
Visitors to the York museum will also be able to enjoy a new audio trail created to enable them to delve a bit deeper into the history of the museum. Accessible for free via smartphone, the tour takes listeners back to a time when the Great Hall was a busy engine shed and Station Hall was a working goods depot.
Prepared by the museum’s curatorial and exhibition teams, the trail features 10 locations which explore York’s railway history, including the Baedeker bombing raids of 1942 which badly damaged parts of the city: there is a plaque in the Great Hall today marking the spot where bombs fell.
Director Judith McNicol said: “We have introduced a range of measures to reassure people, with additional cleaning, hand sanitisers and signage, as well as reduced capacity to help with social distancing and ventilation.
“It is my hope that this will be our last ‘reopening’ as the Covid-19 risk continues to ease.”
Schedule
The York museum will be open from 10am to 5pm (Locomotion 10.30am to 4pm) on Wednesdays to Sundays (Monday to Sunday over school holidays). However, passenger rides, the miniature railway and visitor talks and tours will resume later in the year. Another new exhibition, TransSiberian: The World’s Longest Railway will open at York from June 24. Free tickets will be available from May 26.
The Search Engine archive and library will reopen from May 20 for booked appointments. Free access tickets can be booked at tinyurl.com/ swtbnfuc
Visitors to Locomotion will also be
able to see the site’s historic railway buildings, which have been restored to original condition following a £1.8-million project that was joint funded by Durham County Council with work carried out by VEST Construction of Bishop Auckland.
Starting at Locomotion, visitors can take a 10-minute walk towards the town centre, retracing the route of the original SDR and exploring Shildon’s railway history. The newly-restored buildings include the Grade II-listed ‘Soho shed’ built in 1827, stables and parcel office and Grade II-listed Hackworth House, built in 1830/31 for Timothy Hackworth, the first SDR locomotive superintendent.
The buildings are expected to be opened for the public to view inside later this summer.
Attractions
The newly-refurbished Class 71 electric locomotive E5001 will be on display in time for reopening. The sole survivor of its class, it has undergone a comprehensive repaint and external restoration to repair bodywork. Volunteers worked with contractors to relivery it from BR green to BR blue, applying five coats of paint by hand.
Family visitors to Shildon over May half term will be able to take part in free craft activities including the chance to design and build a replica cardboard Locomotion No.1.